


...Missile Toes?

by Marijke_Rose



Series: Invader Zim - The Nightmare is Real Series [2]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: M/M, Two Shot, X-Mas, ZaDr, irken dib, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-13 04:57:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16886037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marijke_Rose/pseuds/Marijke_Rose
Summary: Though this is technically using the universe set up in the 'Nightmare is Real' series, it is mainly just a prompt challenge I did. You're welcome to take it as my series canon if you like, or it works as a stand-alone.The prompt was to take a word from the prompt, then write one thing with romance; then take the same word and wrtie it without romance.I chose "Mistletoe".





	1. Part I

CML

Dec 5, 2018

 

_Characters belong to Jhonen Vasquez_

 

* * *

  
  


#  Part I

  
  


Dib looked up and narrowed his eyes at the empty nail sticking out from the doorframe and, shaking his head, reached up to attach yet another garland of mistletoe in place.

 

Yet another, you ask? Well, since he’d begun at the beginning of December, they had been disappearing one after the other, yet he hadn't managed to catch the culprit. He figured it was GIR, though. He hoped this one would be allowed to stay long enough for him to catch Zim under it, but just in case it didn't, he was prepared, having bought a bunch more. 

 

He finished securing it and then stepped back to check his work and smiled in approval. Now he just needed Zim, for he was eager to introduce this tradition to his companion, then maybe the invader wouldn't hate X-Mas nearly so much.

 

He turned and picked up the bag with the rest of the mistletoe, then deposited his wig and contacts on a dresser as he headed for the kitchen and to the garbage can elevator that would take him down to the lower levels of the base where he was certain to find his rival-turned-boyfriend.

 

Once he was at the level he wanted, he stepped off and went to the bedroom where he stashed the bag safely away in the back of his wardrobe in the hopes that GIR wouldn't find it.

 

After that, he joined Zim in his lab to find the ruby-eyed Irken was settled on his chair studying a display filled with text in Irken Script; so Dib walked up beside him and waved his hand over the ground, summoning another chair which materialised, then sat down in it and looked at the display too.

 

“How’s it coming?” he asked idly.

 

Zim shrugged and popped something into his mouth, the last of whatever he had, and chewed and swallowed before speaking. “I still do not understand this ‘ex-mas’.”

 

Chuckling, Dib reached into the pocket of his trenchcoat and withdrew a baggy, which he tossed casually onto Zim’s lap. The Irken picked it up, one eye narrowed as he inspected it.

 

“Oh!” Zim exclaimed as both antennae shot up and a huge grin spread over his face. He tore it open and took out one of the cookies, this one shaped like a leaf of mistletoe, and popped it into his mouth.

 

“I thought you’d like that,” Dib murmured approvingly and linked his hands behind his head as he settled back against the chair comfortably. “By the way, would you have a talk with GIR and tell him to stop taking my mistletoe?”

 

“‘Missile toes’?” Zim repeated through a mouthful of cookie.

 

“Yeah, I keep putting them out and GIR keeps taking them. I wonder what he could even want with them…” Though doubted he truly wanted to know what the little SIR had done with them.

 

Zim simply shrugged, popping yet another into his mouth.

 

“Anyway…” Dib reached out and brushed his hand along Zim’s arm. “I wanted to, um, show you something upstairs before he steals it again.” He slipped his hand into Zim’s, taking hold of it as he stood up. “Come quick,” he urged and pulled, then after a moment's hesitation, Zim let himself be pulled to his feet.

 

Gripping the baggy of sweet treats, he followed Dib up to the top level of his base and Dib lead him into the living room, glancing once at the ceiling to make sure it was still there - it was - and guided Zim into the doorway before him.

 

“Stand right there,” he instructed, smiling as he took a moment to commit the image to memory of his ruby-eyed love standing beneath the mistletoe, even if said love was watching him with one eye narrowed in impatient confusion.

 

“What?” Zim demanded after a moment. “What is Zim supposed to see?”

 

Dib’s smile deepened and he placed his hands on his companion’s shoulders. “Just this.” He bent down, closing his eyes, and brushed his lips against Zim’s in a kiss, he felt Zim return it after a moment.

 

When he withdrew, he smiled warmly. “I’m glad I got to finally do that before GIR steals this one.” He pointed to the garland of mistletoe. “It’s a tradition here on Earth to kiss under the mistletoe.”

 

Zim looked up and blinked at the garland. “Oh, there’s another one!” He narrowed his eyes into a glare and his PAK legs extended, raising him up so he was level with the garland, then he removed the mistletoe and lowered himself back to the floor, the mechanical limbs promptly retreating back into his PAK. “So, what did you want to show me?”

 

Dib pursed his brow and frowned, feeling slightly annoyed by the whole display. “Uhhh, just that. The kiss under the mistletoe.” He pointed to where Zim was holding it.

 

Zim cocked his head, narrowing an eye at the Earth plant. “This is ‘missile toe’?”

 

“Mistletoe,” Dib corrected with a nod and kissed Zim again.

 

“Ok,” Zim replied thoughtfully after the kiss ended, then shrugged and returned to his lab, mistletoe still in hand.

  
  
  


***


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And part II, this would be the not-romantic part.

#  PART II

 

_ Back to an earlier point in the day… _

 

Zim glared at the innocent garland hanging under the door frame. For some baffling reason, he kept finding these odd Earth berries tacked to the door and, each time, he got up on his PAK legs, shaking his head as he detached it.

 

He blamed it on GIR, for always affixing various things, including food, to the ceiling was common practice for the little SIR unit.

 

As with each before it, he removed this one, then turned and, carrying it, made his way to the kitchen where he rode the elevator down to the lower levels of his base and to his lab where he was busy working on his latest project: Presents for his amber-eyed companion.

 

He sat before the screen, propping his feet up comfortably on the console and browsed through various pages, looking over them carefully and mulling the results over in his head. This was going to be a hard decision.

 

His antennae twitched, detecting vibrations in the air long before his ears picked up the sound of the elevator and then of boots as they clicked on the hard floor. He reached out and tapped a control, switching everything into Irken.

  
  


***

  
  


“At least now I know how they keep ending up hanging in doorways,” Zim muttered to himself as he returned to his lab some time later, having procured yet another garland of the strange plant that not GIR but  _ Dib _ was guilty of hanging up, though he still didn't quite understand why. The whole concept was simply too baffling for the invader.

 

“Why did you take those?” Dib asked, having followed him.

 

Zim turned back to him. “Dib, we don't hang consumables around the base.” He resumed his way to the chair and sat down, though with Dib around, he wasn't going to make much progress in his searches. He swiped the control panel, closing the screens altogether lest Dib discover that what he’d put up was merely a bluff.

 

“Zim?” Dib prodded him again when he hadn't responded the first time. “Why did you take the mistletoe?”

 

Zim turned his chair so he faced Dib and plucked off one of the berries, then popped it into his mouth as his answer.

 

“No, don't eat-!” Dib cried, but was too late as Zim began chewing.

 

“They are very tasty.”

 

_ “‘Tasty’??” _ Dib grabbed his antennae in worry. “Zim, they are very  _ poisonous!” _

 

Zim gave him an incredulous look and swallowed. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Zim, mistletoe is poisonous, you’re not supposed to  _ eat _ it!”

 

Zim shrugged and popped another little, yellow berry into his mouth, then shook his head as he chewed. “Maybe for humans, but for Zim, they are delicious. Like a little delicacy. - Mmm...” He closed his eyes, making a display of savouring it. “And they have a nice effect.” He took another and held it up to Dib. “Try one.”

 

Dib made a face and shook his head. “I-I… don't think so…”

 

“Oh, Dib, they won't hurt you. - They're, um, like chocolate for Irkens. Even  _ Earth-Irkens,” _ he added with a wink. “And they will make you feel good, because they have properties that induce the release of endorphins.” He held it out to Dib. “Trust me.”

 

Dib cast an uncertain look at Zim. “You sure? Because I just don't-”

 

While his mouth was still open, Zim shoved it in, causing Dib to gasp and draw back in surprise about to spit it out, then the amber-eyed Irken paused. He tentatively bit into it, breaking it between his sharp teeth and tasting the juice. Antennae both raised in curiosity, he began slowly chewing it, then swallowed.

 

“See, my Dib? As Zim said, it is like chocolate.”

 

Dib sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I guess so… - At least now I know what’s been happening to them.” He smiled a little. “And I guess I know what to give you. I-I have more.”

 

“More of these ‘missile toes’?” Zim cocked his head.

 

“Yeah. I bought a whole bag today. Originally it was so I could hang them up for you if they kept disappearing, but I guess… you’d like them better if I just let you eat them.” He gave a nervous chuckle.

 

“Yes, yes I would. Besides, it’s a stupid waste to hang them up and  _ kiss _ under them. No, it is better to just eat them.” With that, he popped another into his mouth, savouring it.

 

Dib sighed and shrugged. “Ok, Zim, but you have to wait until X-Mas before you get the rest,” he smirked.

 

“Oh, we shall see about that,” Zim replied threateningly and matched his smirk.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Yes, this is a headcanon of mine. Had the idea for a while before I decided to do this prompt.


End file.
